Age-Defying Energy Technologies

During the past decade, the field of dermatology has seen enormous growth in the field of energy technologies that can make your skin look younger and healthier. There are so many acronyms and “brand names” in the field that patients can often be overwhelmed with information. We thought it would be useful to provide readers with a general background on the latest dermatology technology.

IPL or Photofacial

Intense Pulsed Light (or IPL) is also known as a “photofacial” -- and these treatments use a broad spectrum of light, as opposed to a single wavelength of light emitted by a laser. IPL treatments require very little downtime and don’t penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin. This form of energy is used to treat brown spots, uneven skin tone, age spots and enlarged blood vessels. These types of treatments can take anywhere from 3-5 treatments to get the full effect.

Fractional Laser Resurfacing

Lasers use a single wavelength of light and have had many applications in medicine for years. The older, heavy-duty CO2 lasers actually removed the entire surface of the skin, which then allowed new skin to grow back and eventually gave an excellent result. But patients never liked the raw red face that would sometimes last for weeks after the procedure. The latest advance in laser technology is Fractional Resurfacing -- where a laser light is broken up into separate “microbeams” that treat only a portion of the skin’s surface. Since only a limited portion is treated at a time, patients have dramatically reduced downtime, and can return to their work and families in a day or two. The end result is an improvement in the appearance of age spots, wrinkles, and fine lines, and gives more youthful appearance. It may take several treatments to achieve the desired result and typically causes more redness and downtime than an IPL, but can have more dramatic results.

Infrared Light

Infrared light is invisible and can penetrate deeply into the skin. Using light energy to stimulate new collagen growth deep beneath your skin's surface, this treatment heats the skin to create collagen contraction, and stimulates long-term collagen rebuilding. The infrared light can help tighten the skin so that gravity changes are softened, fine wrinkles are less obvious and pores are shrunken. It is often used to treat sagging neck and jawlines. Infrared treatments do rely on collagen production and contraction, so the results often depend on the individual response of the patient’s body.

Radiofrequency

Radiofrequency uses electromagnetic waves that penetrate into the skin, and can cause collagen contraction and stimulate production of new collagen in a similar fashion as infrared light. Radiofrequency can be combined with infrared light and mechanical vaccum in newer devices such as Velashape which is a new treatment in body contouring that can result in cellulite reduction and smoother, tighter skin.

So, the next time you see a laser device advertised in a magazine or paper, you will better understand how the technology is affecting you and your skin.

Body contouring without surgery

As this is my first blog post, I wanted to touch on a subject that everyone seems to be talking about. The concept is reducing the appearance of cellulite and fat without liposuction or surgery. There has been quite a bit of buzz in the media regarding these procedures, so I thought it would be a good initial blog post to discuss the merits of these technologies.

Have you ever looked in the mirror and used your fingers to pull your skin into a higher and tighter position? If the answer is yes, and you like what you see, then you may be a candidate for non-invasive skin tightening and rejuvenation. Multiple factors including aging and weight loss can cause sagging of the skin on the face and body. As we age, the collagen in our skin diminishes, resulting in loss of firmness and elasticity. It can be frustrating to see stretch marks and crepey skin that can no longer conform to your body's contours. Fortunately, the latest advances in radiofrequency and infrared light combined with suction and mechanical tissue manipulation can significantly improve the appearance of your skin on your face and body with minimal downtime.

Who can benefit?

These treatments are a great solution for those with cellulite and lax skin on the body. It can also be used on people who want to tone, lift and tighten skin on the face and neck, especially for improvement of the jawline and neck laxity. It has been estimated that 80% of women over the age 20 have cellulite, regardless of their weight and size. While there is no permanent cure for cellulite, there are treatments that can visibly reduce the appearance of the lumps and bumps. There are new non-surgical procedures that can result in a measurable reduction of fat layers and circumference, while minimizing the appearance of cellulite.

VelaShape Body Contouring

VelaShape is an easy, non-surgical, comfortable treatment that feels like a gentle massage. It is a breakthrough solution in body contouring that can result in cellulite reduction and circumferential reduction without any needles or medications. It is the first FDA cleared device for temporary reduction of thigh circumference and cellulite reduction. VelaShape's unique combination of infrared light, radiofrequency, vacuum and mechanical massage can turn cellulite skin into smoother and tighter skin. This widely anticipated device just became available this year. NBC came to my office to film this new procedure and you can see the NBC 11 video here. With four treatments each spaced one week apart, patients may see thinner thighs and improved skin texture within a 30-day period. You can see user reviews of velashape here.

LuxIR Skin Tightening

This treatment gives you an all-natural option to actively turn back the clock on aging skin. Using light energy to stimulate new collagen growth deep beneath your skin's surface, the LuxIR Fractional Procedure can tighten the skin on your face and body. It's an ideal solution to enhance your youthful and healthy appearance without surgery or recovery time. The treatment heats the skin to create collagen contraction, and stimulates long-term collagen rebuilding, leaving patients with younger-looking skin. It employs infrared light (IR) to lift and tighten the skin so that gravity changes are softened, fine wrinkles are less obvious and pores are shrunken. You can see some before and after photos here.

There are so many exciting new advances in dermatology; it is a great time for all of us to look and feel beautiful.